


Happy Birthday, Love.

by Selen0phile



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Birthday, Fluff, Johnil best parents in the world, M/M, Marriage, Parenthood, happy birthday mark lee!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-28 16:22:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20066998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Selen0phile/pseuds/Selen0phile
Summary: Johnny and Taeil pays a surprise visit to their son who turns twenty one today.





	Happy Birthday, Love.

**Author's Note:**

> Johnil as parents....why the fuck not?

"I can't believe he's already twenty one. I feel like he's still five." Taeil commented while getting in the car together with his husband of more than a decade. They we're planning to go for a surprise dinner with their first child for his 21st birthday. Taeil had already packed the variety of chinese food he remembered Mark had graciously picked as his favorites.

He sees Johnny smile while maneuvering the car, the wrinkles getting evident on his face but he still loves him regardless, every single nature of him. "If anyone of us cries, may I have the permission to vlog it?" Johnny threw in as the car finally made it's way on the road.

Taeil let out a snort. "If anyone's gonna be emotional it's definitely you, you're a big baby bird."

"Your big baby bird."

"Plausible. I'm actually thinking about considering you as my first born before I've ever had Mark on my wing. You're a lot like a child, even now." Taeil remembered having to pull out Johnny off his pyjamas this morning because he claimed that his legs are still sleeping and demanded a leg massage. Taeil ended having his morning full of Johnny's groans and moans and slick pair of hands from the massage oil that took him an hour to get off.

"You married your child, then? I'm calling the cops on you--"

Taeil pinched his arm so hard, even added a short twist to enhance the pain. It was deemed successful when Johnny winced loudly. "You're horrible."

"Hey, I was joking."

"I swear to god, if Mark had followed your humor, he'll have zero friends in college. My poor baby." Taeil mockingly says.

Johnny gasps a little bit too dramatic for Taeil's liking. "That is false, you know that. I was very popular in college. You had hots for me, you're the living witness to my glorious days."

Taeil rolled his eyes but could not deny the fact that Johnny was indeed one of the most known existence on his college days, so much for being a dork and low standards of humor, the rumors about him being intimidating weren't actually true. In fact, Taeil had the least trouble talking to him one night at a club party and they hit it off almost immediately.

"You're thinking about it again," Johnny nudged his thought bubble, smiling fondly.

"It just never left my mind. I remember every single detail." Taeil chuckles as he reminded himself one more time at how him and Johnny landed their eyes on one another at the same time. "And by that I mean I remember how lame you were when you asked for my number."

He heard Johnny groan. "There we go again. Honey, may I remind you; you were in the Math club, I was on track and field. I was way cooler than you by default."

"My grades were way cooler."

"I beg your fucking pardon,"

"Then beg, bitch."

Johnny laughed happily and Taeil laughed with him, the same old warm feeling enveloping his chest. Johnny's laugh is the music he endeared and treasured throughout time. He memorized how his eyes would curl down in slight as he lets out a low baritone waves of chuckle that sometimes gets high pitched when uncontrolled. The gift of time had done many wonders to them but he thanked heavens Johnny's laughs remained genuine and happy. That's really all he could ask for.

"Stop looking at me," Johnny starts again. Taeil wasn't aware he had been staring at his husband for a while. He smiled softly as he reaches out to hold Johnny's free hand when he offers it to him. They're a bit cold but nothing out of his comfort. He tangles his fingers against Johnny's long ones and traced the visible veins with his thumb, rubbing them slowly in circles.

"I love you." Taeil murmurs.

Johnny smiled, his eyes on the road but Taeil knows they are full of warmth right now. "I love you too, babe."

  
Taeil didn't expect Mark to be still in bed when they arrived. He rechecked the time on his phone that says three thirty in the afternoon. He looked turned to Johnny who looked as confuse as he was before kneeling down on Mark's bed to wake him up.

"Mark?" Taeil tried to murmur slowly as he knew his baby gets cranky when woken up with harsh volume. Mark did groan but it was faint and his eyes were still glued shot. Taeil felt his son's arm to be warmer than usual. It may be from his body getting exposed to the cold outside so he crawls his hands over Mark's forehead to make sure. "Johnny, get some meds. Our baby is sick."

"What?" Johnny asked as he stopped roaming around the unbelievably unorganized room.

"Just go over his cabinet. He probably has some in there." Taeil suggested while shrugging his son awake. Johnny quickly started on his errand.

"Dad?" Mark whispered weakly and Taeil smiled longingly. Staring at his son of twenty one years like this in such closer proximity, he may have to hide the fact from his husband that he's having the urge to cry at the moment.

Instead he clings to his child and was welcomed with a hot temperature Taeil almost cringed, but he hugs him anyway not bothering if he gets the disease or not. "My baby, Happy birthday."

"Wait, what are you doing here?" Mark asks as he feels his consciousness fully kicking in. "Is pops with you?"

Taeil nods as he tucks Mark's hair behind his ears, not helping himself to stop pinching them as he always did whenever he had the chance. Mark never minded it though because he's the sweetest. Taeil has raised the sweetest child on earth.

"Yes. He's looking for your medicine. You caught some cold."

Johnny as if on cue, steps out from wherever he even went to. Mark's eyes lit up in delight as his dad waved at him. Taeil gave his son the space to jump out of bed to give his old man a hug.

"It's your birthday and you decided to get sick. Worst birthday ever, son." Johnny commented as he ruffles Mark's slightly long locks. Mark whines because he hated that gesture, especially when coming from Johnny claiming his pops is rather harsh than loving when he does it. Johnny will just simply call it tough love.

Taeik shakes his head at the memory and finally stood up to gather the food he prepared. "Mark, take your medicine. I'll go unpack the food." His mind stopped when he finally takes a good look around the room. His eyebrows form a knit at the incredible mess, lips gesturing a firm thin line.

"How about me? What do I do?" Johnny asks as he lets go of his son.

"Just don't break anything." Taeil simply stated, earning a snicker from his son and a frown from his husband. "Don't you snicker around Mark, get on your meds asap."

Johnny snickers back at his son but Taeil caught it and glared at him. His husband decided to help him unpack after giving him a quick peck as an apology.

"I'm glad we packed some soup. Mark would need some." Johnny commented as he unwraps the side dishes.

"I can't believe he caught a cold, of all days." Taeil sighs. It's not like it's surprises him that Mark is sick since the weather is absoultely a disease giving kind, but his parent instinct is slowly kicking on his adrenaline and worries more than he should be. His son is sick and alone on a cold day, if they didn't check in with him, Mark probably won't even bother taking some medicine.

"Hey I know that look," Johnny crawls his arms on his husband's back, eveloping him in a hug. "It's fine. Our baby's fine. It's just a cold." He slightly rocked their bodies to comfort his internally panicking partner.

"What would've happen if we didn't visit him." Taeil asks in a worrisome tone. Mark has excused himself to the bathroom a while ago which is a good chance for the parents to talk behind his back. "He's an adult. He should know how to take care of himself and sleeping through his cold is not self care, Johnny.

"He probably just overslept, love." Johnny says in Mark's defense. He lets go when both of them heard the bathroom door opening, not wanting to have their son fake vomit on their display of affection.

"Look at this place. Everything is a mess." Taeil nags but on Johnny.

Johnny looks around and almost gained a headache from seeing the random shirts and books literally everywhere. "I mean, it looks similar to mine back in my days--"

"Jesus christ, Johnny." Taeil snapped and Johnny pursed his lips closed. He knew the tone was the sign to shut the hell up.

"Dad? Do you need help?" Mark steps into the scene finally. The both of them turned back to their fond faces but fell quickly when they saw Mark wearing shorts and thin skin fabric shirt. Taeil almost boiled in anger.

"Son, what are you wearing?" Taeil asked in spite.

Mark scratched the back of his head in shame. "I forgot to do laundry? My warm clothes are all in the basket but it's nothing I can't manage."

Taeil's eyes widen but Johnny held him back by taking off his cardigan and hands it off to his sick son. Mark took it silently, picking up that his dad is in a sour mood. "Thanks pops." Johnny waves it off and told him to settle down and eat.

Johnny grabbed his husband who was still silent, his upset mood can be traced from his face. Taeil served his son a cup of soup without saying anything. Johnny had to clear his throat to somehow make the tension disappear. Mark caught the mood and decided to shut up as well, knowing too well not to upset his dad further.

They finished the meal in silence with Johnny inserting small talks every now and then. Taeil was participative but only through curt replies. Mark was trying to lighten the mood too even though his cold is starting to kick in, rubbing his foot secretly because he also forgot to wash his socks, seriously one of the easiest garments to wash and he forgets to do them. Mark amazes himself sometimes, most of the time not in a postive way.

Taeil stood up calmly and turned to his husband. "Do the dishes for me, please?"

Johnny nods as an okay. "Are you going somewhere?"

Taeil nods as he grabbed his coat resting on the rack. "I'll be back."

"Dad--" but Taeil already had the door closed. Mark turns to his other Dad who just gave him squeeze on his shoulder. "Why is dad upset?"

"Oh, Mark. You really caught half of my personality. Obliviousness included." Johnny commented as he starts to do the dishes as his husband requested him to do so.

"Is it because I'm sick?" Mark rested his back against the counter beside his father. "I'm a grown man."

"Exactly your Dad's point."

Mark pouts. "I can't believe he got upset with me on my birthday, of all days."

Johnny snorts. Mark got the stubborness from his lover, that's for sure. "Your dad is just worrisome, you know that. We didn't see you for three months too. I can't count the times he told me to drive over your school to check up on you. It was worse on the first week you moved in here." Johnny remembered tucking his crying lover to bed, chanting Mark's name over and over, missing their baby so much it left Johnny's heart helpless and broken.

"But he calls everyday." Mark said.

"Never enough." Johnny imitates the exact words Taeil says whenever he hangs up after a long call to their son.

"Oh." Mark thinks about it for a while and Johnny takes it that the guilt is starting to kick in. He finishes up the dishes and dries up his hands over the towel, praying it was clean enough to use. It's not like he minded.

Johnny settled down the bed as it was the only comfortable place to sit on. Mark followed him quietly, still on his long thoughts. He reaches out to ruffle his son's hair in a usual harsh. "Don't be sad, he won't stay upset for too long. You own a soft spot in him. You're his baby--ours actually."

Mark snorts. A smile sneaking to form in his lips. "Casually forgetting I'm your child too?" He teases.

"Never. Not even once, Mark." Johnny replies with a firm tone, not reciprocating a tease from his son. Mark felt warm from his father's words and reached out to have him be held. Johnny complied without any second thoughts. "Happy birthday, Mark." He murmurs on top of his son's head.

"Hmm. I missed you, pops. No one actually gets my humor here." Mark hums.

Johnny chuckles. "That's when you know you're a true Suh, son. But don't mention that to your dad, actually. He's been concerned at you having no friends."

Mark huffs and pouts. "I have friends!" He protests not aware he looked awfully cute in the eyes of his Dad.

Johnny high fives his son proudly. "I know right? And a lover, I hope?"

Mark blushed intensely and Johnny lets out the loudest and the most annoying 'ooh' ever.

"That's my son! Getting bitches on twenty one? Fuck it up, kenneth!"

Mark rolls his eyes, cheeks and ears still embarrassingly red either from his Dad getting his old ass on the memes or from the mention of the topic of love interest. "My name's not Kenneth. And no, we're just friends, I guess? We never establised anything."

"Name?"

"Donghyuck, but they call him Haechan, I call him Donghyuck though. It's his real name after all."

Johnny nods in agreement to whatever it is he agreed to, Mark doesn't know. "That's right, son. Establish the 'I'm not like the other boys' agenda. That's a good tactic."

His son made a face. "Gross."

They were chatting (but it's mostly just Johnny squeezing details from Mark about Donghyuck) when the door opened. Taeil calls out on Johnny upon arrival, probably still shrugging off the snow on his coat. His husband replies that they're on the bed hanging out.

Few moments later, Taeil steps in the scene with a plastic bag on his hand. He smiled at the two men on the bed. Mark gave him a small and shy wave. "Hi dad."

"Hi Mark." Taeil replies before giving Johnny the look. His husband quickly caught it and stood up, excusing himself after kissing Taeil on the cheeks, whispering 'don't be too harsh on our baby.'. Taeil only snickers as he sits beside his son who tucked his cold feet under the blanket.

He puts out the contents of the bag and offered them to Mark. "Here." He bought several pairs of warm socks at the nearest store. He caught his son rubbing his feet under the table during their meal and he couldn't take it in his heart that his only son is having a cold feet on his birthday.

Mark sulks, face looking guilty. "I'm sorry, Dad." He whispers on blue tone. Taeil lets himself reach for his baby's freezing feet and almost cursed at how icy they feel. He rubs them first, giving them warmth from friction before tucking both of them inside the newly bought socks. Taeil gave the clothed feet some last rubs before taking the blanket and burying them back under the sheet.

Mark wanted to cry at the moment realizing how he missed his Dad so much. Memories of Taeil tucking him to bed with warm blanket every night without any fail flooded his memories. He lets out a sniff when he felt the tears edging to form. "Sorry," he whispers again, but with longing this time.

Taeil sighs. "I'm sorry too. It's your birthday and my sour mood ruined our dinner."

Mark shakes his head. "No, never. It was my fault. I'm sorry for worrying you. I never realized how it is on your part." Mark trails, not meeting his dad's eyes at all.

Taeil runs Mark's head gently before proceeding to play with his ears, the most favorite thing in the world to do. The gesture earns a chuckle from his son, making the wetness on his eyes disappear.

Taeil smiles fondly as he memorizes the traces of adulthood forming on his baby's face. The face he swore he would protect with the cost of his life. His angel, his reason to live, his Mark. From the soft fluffy cheeks that he had to drag Johnny away to avoid chewing them out-- to edgy features, chubby cheeks gone and was replaced with bony edges and sharp jawline. Mark grew out to be a handsome young man.

Taeil can almost not recognize him from the amount of changes time had done to him.

"Happy birthday, love."

Mark cling to him dearly. Taeil didn't mind the unsusual warmth coming from the sickness and wrapped his arms around his baby.

"I missed you so much, dad."

  
"--and you know how to warm the hot pack right? Just put it in the microwave--"

Johnny chuckles as his husband continued to nag at their son who was successfully tucked in bed but refused to sleep without bidding goodbye to his parents. Taeil took their last hours to get his son's room in a somewhat decent condition. Johnny was offering to help but Taeil desperately refused telling him he would destroy things, by accident or by intent he wanted nothing of either of the situations. Johnny pretends he didn't sulk at that but prefers to be seated after all.

"Yes, mom." Johnny teases and expected a flying shirt coming to his face with a violent force.

"You be quiet in the corner, old man."

Johnny chuckled for the last time and stood up to get the things and prepare both of them to leave. Taeil was still folding the last set of clothes from the floor. They also packed Mark's fridge with the left overs and bought fruits through post mates.

Taeil nodded at his husband when he decided he's done cleaning up. Johnny nodded back once and turned to their sick son quiet on the bed.

"Well, I guess we'll see you around son--ouch what the he--" he whines when Taeil pinches his side.

"What is with the backhanded goodbye? It's our baby's birthday!"

"Oh jesus." Johnny rolls his eyes as he kneels down at Mark's level. "Good night, Markiepoo, sweet dreams and happy happy birthday. I love you sooooo much, like this much." Johnny gestures a big circle and Mark mutters a soft 'jesus christ' under his breath. Johnny ended the cringey aegyo with a sloppy smooch on Mark's forehead.

"That was way over the top, Johnny."

"What is with that backhanded compliment, my dear?" Johnny retorts in a mocking way.

Taeil kisses his son for the last time, humming a soft good night. Mark closes his eyes and mutters an 'i love you, dads.'

  
"We didn't cry." Johnny starts as they stroll out of the building. Taeil clinging his arms on his and softly skipping in his steps. He had to help himself not to shower his life partner with small kisses all over his cute and small face.

Taeil hums happily. "It's a happy day. No one should cry on a happy day."

"Yeah, but that also mean I didn't get to vlog anything."

"You mean, you didn't vlog _yourself_ crying?" Taeil suggests.

"Well who was the one crying every night because he misses his son, when he has his big baby right here?"

Taeil frowns. "Johnny, you are twisted." 

"No, _you're_ twisted. We didn't get our son a cake!"

"Sweets will hurt his throat. Are you crazy? Our son was sick and you're thinking about giving him a whole cake?" 

Johnny pouts. He convinced Taeil to buy his son a big cake that would fit twenty one candles on them but his husband just called him crazy. He tried to sneak in an order but Taeil caught it quickly. It's like a sixth sense to him that he can tell whenever Johnny is up to no good. 

"I said I can compromise with one slice but you are so up with your twenty one candle agenda." Taeil speaks up again when Johnny remained pouting. 

"I want my son to have the best cake!"

"He said he'll go home for the weekend. You can push your huge ass cake on his face as much as you want--but only if he's fully recovered by then, okay?"

Johnny nods while still pouting. The two of them now walking towards their car when Johnny stops on his tracks all of a sudden, grinning at his confused husband.

"We can vlog _something else_, if you know what I mean." Johnny comes up with an idea out of the blue while he wiggles his eyebrows to Taeil. His husband frowns in disgust.

"Jesus. Johnny, your kink is showing."

Johnny shrugs. "Not my fault my husband is hella sexy." He winks at Taeil before he enters the car, not waiting for another frown for his lover.

"Idiot." Taeil whispers in the air, opening the door of the passenger seat. He takes a while before entering making sure the warmth from his cheeks subsided. Johnny may have aged up, but his compliments still give Taeil the same butterflies he felt like Johnny is still the college jock that he was, lamely asking for his number (not mentioning spilling his drink in the process)

"My idiot."

Taeil made sure his fingers are curled on Johnny's throughout the ride. City lights reflecting beautifully against their rings, his son sound sleeping at the back of his mind, and the love of his life on his side humming to their favorite song while he takes both of them home.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday to my child, Mark Lee ♡♡♡ I can't believe I managed to write this in one sitting. I hope you all liked it because I had fun writing this! 
> 
> Don't forget to greet Mark on his special day!! 
> 
> [twt 😄](https://twitter.com/Selen0phille)


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